Haiku Friday

Howling

By Mary Tkaczuk

I laugh, my dog howls

That makes me laugh even more.

There’s no end in sight!

This haiku was originally published in the Fall 2006 edition of the Society’s newsletter, the Guardian.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On this special day, we are thankful for all of you who have made room in your homes for a shelter animal, donated food or money, taught your children to be kind to animals, volunteered to help animals and shared your lives with a special pet.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Meet Zed

Zed is a handsome border collie mix who has been with us since October. Our staff members say that he is a friendly dog and already knows the “sit” and “down” commands. Usually dogs stay with us for a brief time before they are adopted and we think Zed’s age might be keeping him from being adopted. At six, he’s not a puppy, but he’s got a lot of love to share with a special person or family.

If you’d like to visit Zed (#3737), stop by the Society from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday or from 1 – 7 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information on adopting a pet, visit our website,  www.whspets.org. We will be closed tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day.

For the Birds

Bird owners need to take special care to keep their pets safe. Even cooking near a bird can be dangerous if you are using a Silverstone or Teflon pan. Fumes from these pans and such common products as tobacco smoke, car exhaust, paint, glue, room fresheners, insecticides, perfume and hair spray can be dangerous, and even deadly, to your bird.

Everyone likes a clean house, but birds and cleaning don’t mix. Even using the cleaning process in a self-cleaning oven can be dangerous to birds. It’s a good practice to keep your bird away from any area in which cleaning supplies are being used. Birds are attracted by brightly-colored ribbon, so clean up those arts and crafts supplies before letting your bird free or it could try to eat the ribbon and choke or become entangled in loose ribbon.

Haiku Friday

We still have kittens available for adoption!

Oops!

By Barbara Alterman

Cat greets your new friend –

Purr, purr, rub, rub, ACK, ACK, ACK…

Hairball gift on shoe

This haiku was originally published in the Fall 2006 edition of the Society’s newsletter, the Guardian.

It’s Cold!

Cold weather has arrived in Bensalem. Everyone is showing up for work in winter coats and gloves, doing their best to stay warm. Your pets need to stay warm too. On cold days, it’s a good idea to limit the amount of time your dog stays outside, unless you have a dog bred specifically for cold climates, such as a husky. Put a sweater on your shorthaired dog and consider buying one for an older dog, whether shorthaired or not. Younger and older dogs can have trouble maintaining body heat.

 

Snow will be coming sooner or later and when it does, be sure to clear a path in your yard for your dog to take care of business. When you shovel that path, keep the shoveled snow far away from your fence. A nice pile of snow can make it easy for your dog to escape from your yard. If you keep the hair around dog’s pad trimmed, it will be more difficult for snow to stick them.

 

When your pets do go outside in cold weather, check the ears, tail and feet for signs of frostbite, which will turn the skin red or gray. If you notice any of these signs, wrap the affected area in a blanket and call your veterinarian.

 

We’ve Got Some Tips to Help Your Outdoor Cat Become a Homebody

It used to be that cats spent their days roaming the neighborhood, stopping to rest in one yard then moving on to a sunny porch down the street. In the last few decades, we’ve realized that letting a cat roam isn’t safe, particularly in urban or suburban areas. And the truth is that domesticated animals, such as cats, are given food and water every day and don’t need to roam and hunt. If you have an outdoor cat you’d like to keep in your home and yard, we’ve got some tips for easing the transition.

Fence your backyard and give your cat a safe area to roam. Make sure your fence is high enough that your cat can’t jump over it. Any gaps should be small enough that your cat can’t squeeze through. Filling gaps also prevent other animals from entering your fenced yard.

Look into buying or building a cat enclosure for your yard. Pet supply companies sell small enclosures that permit your pet to enjoy the outdoors in a contained area. You can also build an enclosure of your own using sturdy screening to allow your cat to safely watch birds fly by.

Open your blinds and curtains so that your cat can take in the view. If your window sills aren’t large enough to hold your cat, you may want to look into buying a shelf that attaches to your window sill (sold at pet stores) and provides a comfortable place for your pet to observe nature.

Keep your cat so busy that the outdoors is forgotten. Buy balls and catnip-filled toys. Buy or make a “fishing rod.” The fishing rod doesn’t have to be fancy. All you need is a long rod with a sturdy string (not yarn) that you attach to a furry toy. Dangle in front of your cat and watch the fun begin. Don’t forget to put the fishing rod out of your cat’s reach when play time is over. String can wrap around your cat’s intestines if swallowed and cause serious injury.

Haiku Friday

Night

By Carol Feldman

Queen cat flies through the night

Still blackness turns loud and bright

Paw swats TV switch

(This haiku originally appeared in the Fall 2006 edition of the Society’s newsletter, the Guardian.)

Don’t Forget to Stop By Neshaminy Mall on Saturday!

That’s when you’ll be able to get a head start on your holiday shopping and help the Women’s Humane Society at the same time.  When you make a donation to the Society on TheGivingSpree.com, you’ll receive a shopping pass to use for special retail offers at Neshaminy Mall on November 15. You can purchase the shopping pass for a $5 minimum donation. One hundred percent of your donation will benefit the Society.

Meet Jyinky

Someone in Jyinky’s family was allergic to him, which is a frequent reason that animals are given up. Jyinky is approximately two to three years old, is neutered and declawed and likes other animals and children. If you’d like to visit Jyinky, stop by the Society from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday or from 1 – 7 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information on adopting a pet, visit our website, www.whspets.org.